OB - all

Define Organizational Behavior (OB).

A field of study that investigates how individuals, groups, and structure affect behavior within organizations, with the goal of improving organizational effectiveness.

What does OB focus on?

What people do in an organization and how their behavior affects performance, motivation, satisfaction, and effectiveness.

Why is OB important to managers?

It helps them understand, predict, and influence employee behavior, build better teams, improve leadership, and manage change effectively.

What are the three main levels of analysis in OB?

Individual level, Group level, and Organization level.

At what level would "personality" or "motivation" be analyzed?

The individual level.

At what level would "leadership" or "team cohesion" be analyzed?

The group level.

At what level would "organizational structure" or "culture" be analyzed?

The organizational level.

What are inputs in the OB model?

Variables like personality, group structure, and organizational culture that influence processes.

What are processes in the OB model?

Actions that transform inputs into outcomes, such as communication, motivation, leadership, and decision-making.

What are outcomes in the OB model?

Key results such as productivity, job satisfaction, turnover, and organizational effectiveness.

What are the core topics studied in OB?

Motivation, leader behavior, power, communication, group structure, perception, change, conflict, and work design.

What are the four behavioral science disciplines contributing to OB?

psychology, social psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

How does psychology contribute to OB?

It explains individual behavior through motivation, learning, emotions, and personality.

How does social psychology contribute to OB?

It studies how people influence each other—attitude change, communication, group behavior, and conflict.

How does sociology contribute to OB?

It examines social systems, group dynamics, structure, and organizational culture.

How does anthropology contribute to OB?

It compares cultural values and helps managers understand cross-cultural differences and diversity.

What is the value of studying OB?

It improves managerial effectiveness, enhances interpersonal skills, and promotes positive employee well-being and performance.

What is systematic study?

A method of understanding behavior by looking at cause-and-effect relationships and basing conclusions on scientific evidence.

Why is systematic study important in OB?

Because human behavior is predictable when studied scientifically; relying on intuition alone leads to errors.

What is evidence-based management (EBM)?

Using the best available research and evidence to guide managerial decisions instead of gut instinct.

How does intuition fit into OB decision-making?

Intuition can help, but it must be supported by evidence and systematic analysis.

What does the phrase "few absolutes in OB" mean?

Human behavior is complex; the best approach depends on the situation (the contingency perspective).

What is the contingency approach?

The idea that there is no single best way to manage—effective behavior depends on the situation.

Who studied effective vs. successful managers?

Fred Luthans

What four managerial activities did Luthans identify?

Traditional management, communication, HRM and networking.

How did Luthans define successful managers?

Managers who achieve promotions quickly, success measured by upward mobility.

How did Luthans define effective managers?

Managers who achieve high performance and employee satisfaction in their teams.

What activity did successful managers spend the most time on?

Networking.

What activity did effective managers spend the most time on?

Communication

Why is networking important for managers?

It helps build social connections and visibility, which leads to promotions and career advancement.

Why is communication important for managers?

It leads to better relationships, trust, and higher team performance and satisfaction.

What are the major challenges and opportunities for OB in today's world?

Globalization, workforce diversity, social media, employee well-being, positive work environments, and ethical behavior.

What does globalization mean in the context of OB?

Managing and leading people across different cultures, languages, and time zones.

What is workforce diversity?

Recognizing and valuing differences among employees in gender, age, race, and culture.

How does social media affect OB?

It changes how people communicate, collaborate, and build reputations inside and outside organizations.

What is employee well-being in OB?

Balancing stress, workload, and personal life for better satisfaction and performance.

What is meant by a positive work environment?

A culture that emphasizes strengths, engagement, recognition, and psychological safety.

Why is ethical behavior an OB challenge?

Managers must promote integrity, fairness, and social responsibility in complex, global settings.

What are the five employability skills developed by studying OB?

critical thinking, communication, collaboration, knowledge application and analysis, social responsibility

Why is critical thinking important in OB?

It allows managers to question assumptions and make better decisions.

Why is collaboration important in OB?

It builds stronger, more effective teams and promotes collective problem-solving.

What is social responsibility in the workplace?

Acting ethically and contributing to the welfare of employees, communities, and the environment.

What does "behavior is generally predictable" mean in OB?

Although individuals differ, consistent behavioral patterns allow managers to make accurate predictions.

Why is OB relevant in modern organizations?

Because it helps address rapid change, technology, and human needs in a globalized and diverse workforce.

How does OB connect to technology and AI?

Managers use data and AI to understand employee patterns, but must protect privacy and maintain ethics.

What is meant by "employability skills" in OB?

The soft and analytical skills employers seek—transferable across jobs and industries.

Why is studying OB useful for your future career?

It improves leadership, communication, decision-making, and teamwork skills—key for any business role.

What are the seven key elements of organizational structure?

Work specialization, departmentalization, chain of command, span of control, centralization and decentralization, formalization, boundary spanning.

What is work specialization?

The degree to which tasks in an organization are divided into separate jobs.

What are the advantages of work specialization?

Increases efficiency, productivity, and expertise.

What are the disadvantages of work specialization?

Leads to boredom, fatigue, stress, and lower motivation.

What is departmentalization?

The basis by which jobs are grouped together in an organization.

What are five common types of departmentalization?

Functional, product, geographical, process, and customer.

What is functional departmentalization?

Grouping jobs by function (e.g., marketing, finance, HR).

What is product departmentalization?

Grouping jobs by product line or service offered.

What is geographical departmentalization?

Grouping jobs based on territory or region.

What is process departmentalization?

Grouping jobs according to production steps or processes.

What is customer departmentalization?

Grouping jobs based on customer type or need.

What is the chain of command?

The continuous line of authority extending from top management to the lowest levels in the organization.

What are the key concepts within the chain of command?

Authority, responsibility, and unity of command.

What is unity of command?

The principle that each employee should have only one direct supervisor.

What is span of control?

The number of subordinates a manager can effectively direct.

What are the pros of a narrow span of control?

Close supervision and control, easier communication with subordinates.

What are the cons of a narrow span of control?

Slower decision-making and higher management costs.

What are the pros of a wide span of control?

More autonomy for employees, faster communication, cost efficiency.

What are the cons of a wide span of control?

Risk of less supervision and managerial overload.

What is centralization?

The degree to which decision-making is concentrated at a single point in the organization.

What is decentralization?

When decision-making authority is pushed down to lower levels of the organization.

What is formalization?

The extent to which jobs are standardized and guided by rules and procedures.

What are the effects of high formalization?

Little discretion for employees; consistent behavior.

What are the effects of low formalization?

More flexibility and discretion in how tasks are performed.

What is boundary spanning?

The extent to which individuals or groups form relationships outside their formally assigned groups or departments.

Give an example of boundary spanning.

A project manager coordinating between the marketing and production teams.

What is the simple structure?

A flat organization with low departmentalization, wide spans of control, and centralized authority.

What are the advantages of the simple structure?

Fast, flexible, and clear accountability.

What are the disadvantages of the simple structure?

Risk of information overload for top management; not scalable as the organization grows.

What is a bureaucracy?

A structure with high specialization, formal rules, clear hierarchy, and narrow spans of control.

What are the advantages of a bureaucracy?

Efficiency, standardization, predictability.

What are the disadvantages of a bureaucracy?

Rigid, impersonal, slow to adapt to change.

What is the matrix structure?

A structure that combines functional and product departmentalization, creating dual lines of authority.

What are the advantages of the matrix structure?

Facilitates coordination, improves communication across departments, and efficient information sharing.

What are the disadvantages of the matrix structure?

Confusion from dual authority, role conflict, and power struggles.

What is the mechanistic model?

A rigid, tightly controlled structure with high formalization and centralization.

What type of environment fits a mechanistic model?

Stable, predictable environments.

What is the organic model?

A flexible, adaptable structure with low formalization and decentralized decision-making.

What type of environment fits an organic model?

Dynamic and changing environments.

What are the key differences between mechanistic and organic structures?

Mechanistic = rigid, centralized, specialized. Organic = flexible, decentralized, cross-functional.

What organizational factors influence structure?

Strategy, size, technology, and environment.

How does strategy influence structure?

Innovation strategies need organic structures; cost-minimization strategies need mechanistic structures.

How does organization size influence structure?

As size increases, structure becomes more specialized, formalized, and hierarchical.

How does technology influence structure?

Routine technology suits mechanistic; non-routine suits organic.

How does environment influence structure?

Stable → mechanistic; dynamic → organic.

What is the definition of leadership?

Leadership is the ability to influence a group toward the achievement of a vision or set of goals.

What do trait theories of leadership focus on?

They identify the personal characteristics that differentiate leaders from non-leaders.

What was the early assumption about trait theories?

That leaders are born, not made.

What is the modern view of trait theories?

Certain traits increase the likelihood of leadership emergence and effectiveness, but context still matters.

Which Big Five traits are most strongly related to leadership?

Extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.

What is emotional intelligence (EI) in leadership?

The ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions and the emotions of others.

What is the main limitation of trait theories?

They predict who will emerge as a leader but not how successful they will be in every situation.